The 12 Days of Christmas
by hazelsherlock
Summary: In the 12 days leading up to Christmas, Hermione receives gifts representing her favourite muggle Christmas song. But are they from her boyfriend, Draco, or from a secret admirer? All credit to JK Rowling.
1. A Patridge in a Pear Tree

**A/N: **Hello, everyone! Before you start, this is a little sequel to **Spy in the Dark** , which you don't have to read to understand this story, but don't complain if you don't know the reasons why some characters are OOC. Some background for you:

Established relationships are as follows: Draco/Hermione, Harry/Ginny, Luna/Neville and Dumbledore/McGonagall (Yes, I'm aware of his sexuality).

The war is over so this is a retake of seventh year, where Ginny is not in seventh year as she has finished her sixth year.

Dead people are as follows: Voldemort, Bellatrix, Fred, Tonks, Remus, Parvati, Lavender, Seamus and Professor Binns.

Draco. Blaise and Pansy were spies and Lucius was under the Imperius curse. Whilst under the curse, he killed Draco's older sister, Astrid (My OC)

The picture used is not mine, all credit to the artist.

I'm going to try to attempt to update every day leading up to Christmas including Christmas day. I'm expecting the chapters to be quite short. I'm aware that the 12 days of Christmas refers to the 6 days either side of Christmas, but I'm doing it during the lead up. Enjoy, guys! hsx

CHAPTER 1-

This is the first year I've had at Hogwarts where I don't have to worry about anything. I grinned at that thought as I brushed my hair, looking at my reflection in the mirror. I had moved back into the Gryffindor girl's dormitory instead of the Head's common room, as they hadn't yet fixed everything that was destroyed in the battle. Parvati and Lavender were dead, and I was sharing a dormitory with Ginny and two other girls from her year: Lauren Adams and Kate Fortknight. They were practically reincarnations of our previous dorm mates.

As I was doing up my tie, Lauren poked her head around the door. 'Hermione, Draco's downstairs waiting for you.' She sighed. 'You know how impatient he is. He's giving Kate a piggy-back.' As I laughed she left and I grabbed my cardigan off my bed and left the dormitory.

Harry and Ginny were sat on the settee with Ron, who was being watched from a distance by Lauren. Ron was still in mourning for Lavender, who had been killed by Fenir Greyback during the battle and his hand was still wrapped in a bandage with an injury from the war, making him the only one who had any injuries left. My split lip had healed and Draco's slightly singed arm was as good as new.

I transferred my gaze to Draco, and he was running around the common room with Kate on his back, just as Lauren had said. Kate was tiny for her age and looked – and acted – like a second year. 'Draco Malfoy!' Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up at me stood on the stairs. Draco grinned at me and I felt myself fall for him even more, if that were even possible.

'Yes, Hermione?'

'Put Kate down. She doesn't want man handling.' He laughed and Kate slid off his back, going over to where Lauren was stood by the fire.

'Come on, breakfast.' He took my hand, squeezing it as he did. We walked out of the common room, the others following. Draco pulled me closer towards him and whispered into my ear, 'You look very pretty,' as he did every morning since the battle. I rewarded him with a kiss on the cheek and we heard Ron groan from behind us.

'It's not even nine o'clock, guys!' I blushed and we entered the Great Hall, Pansy, Blaise, Luna and Neville already sat at the head of the Gryffindor table. Blaise waved at us and we went over to them. It had been dubbed by Dean Thomas as the "couple's section" of the table since we always sat there, with the exception of Ron, Lauren and Kate. Draco helped me onto the bench and sat down next to me, and I instantly put my legs onto his lap and slid closer to him, as usual. He placed his hand on my thigh and began to stroke my leg softly through the material of my tights. I leaned against his shoulder contently and picked up a piece of toast and began to eat whilst Draco poured some cereal into a bowl and began talking to Blaise about the last quidditch match, and Pansy and I discussed the two balls that were coming up.

'Are you buying two dresses then?' I nodded.

'Yep. I think I'll buy a better one for the Malfoy ball though.' We both grinned and Draco turned to me.

'Did you say my name?'

'Not directly. We were just talking about dresses for the Winter and Malfoy ball. Do you think I'll need a better dress for your family's ball?'

'It doesn't matter, you'll look beautiful anyway.' He kissed me quickly on the lips and I vaguely tasted the orange juice on them.

'Why can't you say things like that to me?'

'Because, Pansy, I already risked my life against an imperioed version of Lucius Malfoy by stealing his son's fiancée.' Pansy crossed her arms at her boyfriend's comment and turned back to us.

'You're lucky, Hermione. Draco risked death by Voldemort, killed his other fiancée, stopped your arm from scarring, killed your almost rapist and you've already met his mum who's in love with you too. I don't even know what Blaise's mum looks like.' They began to argue and Draco whispered to me.

'Have you finished?' I nodded and we left the Great Hall together unnoticed by the majority of people. 'Fancy going for a walk before potions?' I nodded and we stepped outside into the entrance courtyard, where we shared our first kiss together. We carried on walking hand in hand until we were stood by the lake. I looked up at Draco and saw that his silver eyes were a stormy colour instead of bright like they usually were.

'Are you okay, Draco?' He nodded.

'Just nervous.'

'What about? Voldemort's gone.' I grinned and he smiled at the ground.

'About the Malfoy ball. My mother likes you, but you haven't really spoken to my father, and he's harder to impress…' He looked out to the lake and I reached up onto my tiptoes and stroked the side of Draco's face, bringing his eye focus back to me.

'Who cares if your father doesn't like me? I love you, Draco. I didn't spend three months heart broken in a tent thinking you hated me to give up now. What matters is how we feel.' I bit my lip and looked up at Draco nervously, hoping he wouldn't say what my heart couldn't bear to hear, not again and certainly not for real this time.

'Okay.' I relaxed as he pulled me closer towards him, hands around my waist, and kissed me slowly and softly and sweetly, and I felt like I was in heaven. We eventually pulled away from each other and my feet felt like they had frozen into the ground. 'We need to go and get our bags for potions.' I nodded and we headed back to the castle, parting at the first floor landing on the grand staircase.

'I'll see you in the dungeons.' I let go of his hand and turned to go up the stairs, but he pulled me back and kissed me soundly.

'I love you too.' I blushed and began to head back up to the Gryffindor common room, putting my hands in the pockets of my cardigan, becoming alarmed by the feel of something cold in the left pocket. I ran back up to my dormitory, and after making sure no one was around, I emptied the contents of my pocket. Apart from the wrapper of a humbug, there was a bracelet that I had never seen before along with a note with my initials on. With shaking hands, I opened the note, feeling quite relieved at the contents:

_On the first day of Christmas I give to my true love a partridge in a pear tree._

I turned over the note, expecting to find some sort of indication of who it was from, but there was none. I picked up the silver bracelet and saw that there were two charms sliding along the chain. One was a silver and black leave, and the other was a small crystallised pear. Was it from Draco? We loved each other, and no other boys had taken an interest me, but someone could have easily slipped it in my cardigan during breakfast. I slowly put the bracelet on my left wrist, hid the note under my pillow and grabbed my bag from the bottom of my bed before leaving the tower.

I think I spoke to soon about not having anything to worry about.


	2. 2 Turtle Doves

**A/N: **Thank you to my reviewer **Gone Pear-Shaped**(Well, at least you're enjoying it. I agree with you about the speech, not so much about the other stuff. I did write it in ten minutes flat. This chapter was done in five)! This chapter is fairly short, like I said they would be. Enjoy! hsx

CHAPTER 2-

The next day, I still hadn't worked out who my bracelet was from. I had kept it hidden all yesterday, Ginny kindly chopping up all of the potion ingredients for me so I wouldn't have to roll up my sleeves. I was getting increasingly worried that someone might see it, especially Draco. I knew I shouldn't be keeping secrets from him, or anyone for that matter, but until I found out who had given me this bracelet, I wasn't telling anybody.

As we sat at the Gryffindor table for lunch, I began working out a mental list in my head of people who would know about the 12 days of Christmas song. Obviously, all of the muggle borns would know, as well as the majority of the half-bloods. Draco was a pure-blood, but he had taken muggle studies this year, so there was a chance… I almost audibly groaned and lent my elbows on the table.

'Are you okay, love?' I looked up at Draco and tried to smile.

'Yeah, I just haven't finished that essay for defence against the dark arts yet.'

He smirked. 'That's only due in for the last day. Now eat something. I feel fat watching you sip pumpkin juice.' I smiled properly at him now and managed to eat a few sandwiches before we had to leave for Transfiguration. We sat at the back of the class on our shared desk, with Harry and Ginny opposite us, Blaise, Pansy, Lauren and Ron on the desks in front. As soon as McGonagall took her place in front of the board, Draco's left hand resumed its' normal position on my leg, working higher up my thigh and under my skirt slightly as he knew no one could see us in the dim Transfiguration classroom, or because we were at the back of the room. I squirmed slightly before settling, and I watched him smirk as he faced the board; quill and parchment ready.

We took notes on transfiguring one animal into another, apparently it being the hardest type of transfiguration, then McGonagall took two turtles out of a small cage on her desk. 'Now, I'm going to transfigure these two turtles into turtle doves, which is a type of bird with a turtle shell-like patterning on their feathers. This is the easiest way of doing the hardest transfiguration, by finding an animal that is similar to the one you want to turn it into to. For example, a cat to lion, or a hedgehog to a porcupine.' We all watched as McGonagall took the two turtles out of the cage and placed them on the floor, pointed her wand out them, and after a bright pink light shot out at them, two turtle doves were flying around the classroom.

I smiled, but my shoulders soon drooped as my bracelet became a little heavier and felt a small piece of parchment in my left hand. After checking that Draco's attention was directed at McGonagall, I opened the parchment.

_On the second day of Christmas I give to my true love a turtle dove._

I screwed the note up and put it in the pocket of my robes, and slowly rolled up my sleeve, and found to more silver charms, one of a turtle and one of a dove. _They must be using magic to give me these things, so it must be someone in the classroom. _I smiled to myself, knowing at least it was someone from my year, until McGonagall spoke again.

'Who came into the class last?' Neville timidly put his hand up. 'In future, don't leave the door open, Mr Longbottom.' With a flick of her wand, the door shut, and I almost groaned again. There could have been someone watching the class the entire time, then levitated the charms and note to me. I rolled back down my sleeve and tried to carry on with class as if nothing had happened.


	3. 3 French Hens

**A/N: **Thank you to my reviewers **txbnnt20**(Thank you!), **Luz2read20**(Haha, yes it is, but I like Hermione being paranoid :P) and **shaymars**(Haha thank you!)!

CHAPTER 3-

On the third day, we were in Charms class practicing a new spell from Professor Flitwick when Harry accidentally cast the opposite spell. It was supposed to make your eye sight temporarily better, and Draco had cast it correctly on my eyes, and I could see the contours of his face more clearly now, including the slight scar at the side of his nose where I had punched him in third year. I took my wand off the desk and was about to cast it on him when Ginny cried out.

'Ouch! Harry, what have you done?' The whole class gathered around Harry and Ginny, both of them knelt on the floor, Harry looking distraught and Ginny in pain. Unluckily, Flitwick had left the room to send an emergency owl, so the small crowd let me through, knowing my ambition to be a healer.

'Ginny, look up at me?'

'Where are you?' I knelt on the floor in front of her, watching her look around trying to find the whereabouts of my voice. I took her face in both of my hands, and she stopped moving. Her mascara had run down her cheeks slightly from crying, and I scourified her face so I could look at her eyes properly.

'Gin, I know it hurts, but you need to stop crying so I can see what's wrong.' She sniffed and nodded, and I finally saw that her eyes were bright red. 'Harry can I have your wand?' He gave it to me, and after casting prior incantato on it, I saw that he had accidentally cast the conjunctivitis curse on his girlfriend. 'It'll be okay, Gin, we just need to get you to the hospital wing. Harry's damaged your eyesight a little, and I don't want to start messing around with it until you've seen Madame Pomfrey. Harry, can you carry her please?' I stepped out of the way and let Harry pick up Ginny, and the three of us went to the hospital wing, everyone else staying in class.

After the short trip to the hospital wing, I held the door wide open for Harry as he carried in Ginny, leaving it open as Madame Pomfrey came out of her office. 'Mr Potter, Miss Weasley, Miss Granger, what has happened?'

'Harry accidentally cast the conjunctivitis curse on Ginny and she can't see very well.' The medi-witch nodded and motioned for Harry to lay Ginny down on the nearest bed, and she cast the counter curse on her. Ginny's eyesight returned, then she threw up violently on the floor, and Harry's shoes.

'Yes, an unfortunate side effect of the counter curse. Mr Potter, go the nearest bathroom and get yourself cleaned up.' Harry left and Madame Pomfrey gave Ginny a potion, which she also threw up. 'It seems we'll have to do this the muggle way…' I looked at her strangely as she disappeared into her office, coming back with what looked like an egg box. She handed it to me and I opened it to find two eggs inside. I was about to question her, but she spoke before I could. 'In Spain and Southern America, they run raw eggs over the body in order to heal patients of things like stress and sickness, so when potions don't work, we do this.' She took one egg from the box and told Ginny to lift her top, showing her tummy, then began to run the egg along the skin.

I looked at the last egg in the box. 'What kind of eggs are these?'

'French. I believe they work the best.' She returned her attentions to Ginny and I smiled at the irony of it, remembering that French hens was the next line in the song. It dropped when I felt the parchment fly into my hand and the bracelet add a little weight. Checking that neither my friend nor the medi-witch were looking, I checked my bracelet to see a small hen dangling next to the dove from yesterday before I opened the note.

_On the third day of Christmas I give to me true love a French hen egg._

_(Sorry, this one was hard to do)_

I tried not to grin at how stupid he sounded. If it was a he. Ginny wouldn't have done it, and Madame Pomfrey definitely wouldn't have done it. I looked around the hospital wing to find that there was no one else present. Then I suddenly remembered the door. I had left it open when I came in, and I didn't hear it close when Harry left. I had managed to make the same mistake as yesterday. Annoyed with myself, I screwed up the note, then straightened it out, remembering the two notes already under my pillow. My mental list of people was getting longer by the minute.

**A/N: **Seriously, French hens was a hard one. And that egg thing is actually real. Whether it works is a completely different matter. Tip: If you decide to write a fan fiction like this one, plan it far in advance before you post the first chapter.

hsx


	4. 4 Calling Birds

**A/N: **Thank you to my reviewer **shaymars**! Enjoy everyone: rated M for a reason, guys, just a reminder.

hsx

CHAPTER 4-

Ginny's eyesight and sickness had cleared up by the following evening, and she joined us for dinner in the Great Hall, smiling at everyone, including Harry, even though her boyfriend could have made her permanently blind.

'Hermione, why do you look so paranoid?' My head jerked up and I saw Luna sat opposite me at the Gryffindor table, her head cocked to one side as she questioned me.

'I'm just nervous about the Malfoy Ball, that's all.' She smiled, taking it. It wasn't an exact lie. I was nervous about the ball, but I was still feeling irritated by the whole business with the bracelet. I had been waiting all day for another charm and note to appear, and every time I felt something unknown in my hand, I jumped slightly. I was so distracted by the absence of any gift that I didn't notice Draco and Blaise sit down either side of me, or Draco reaching lightly for my hand. I jerked away from him slightly, then after realising it was him, I gripped it.

'Everything alright, love?'

'Of course.' I smiled at him and he squeezed my hand before letting go and began to put some food onto his plate. 'I need to go and get my nightie after.'

'Well, strictly speaking, you don't need to go and get anything.' He winked at me and I hit his arm softly. 'Okay, you can go and get your nightie before we go.' I was spending the night with Draco in the Slytherin dungeons since we didn't get to see each much in the evenings compared to when we had our shared common room last year. Halfway through the meal, there was a calling of a bird, and I jumped a little in my seat.

'What was that?'

'It was just an owl, Hermione.' I looked up and saw Errol flying towards Ginny, as she had missed her mail this morning at breakfast due to her still being in the hospital wing. Draco shuffled closer to me. 'Are you okay?' I nodded, feeling myself go red as the bracelet got heavier and felt the parchment in my hand. Draco turned back to his meal and I looked at the note under the table, checking that no one was looking.

_On the fourth day of Christmas, I give to my true love a calling bird._

I took a quick glance at my bracelet under the table and saw a small owl charm had joined the others. I nearly groaned and carried on eating, me and Draco leaving the hall when it was half an hour until curfew. He tried to drag me down to the dungeons, and I just laughed. 'I need to go and get my things, Draco.' He sighed and we started the ascent to the seventh floor, leaving him in the common room, chatting to the others whilst I put my nightie and fresh clothes into my beaded bag. Just as I was about to leave my dormitory, I remembered my bracelet. I went back to my bed, put the new note underneath my pillow and placed the bracelet in the top drawer of my bedside table. Contented that I was finally ready, I went back down into the common room, bid good night to all of my friends and walked hand in hand with Draco down to the dungeons.

'Put your fingers in your ears and close your eyes.' I narrowed my eyes at him.

'Why?'

'Because the rest of the Slytherins will kill me just for bringing a Gryffindor into the common room. The houses may be united, but if you know the password, they'll kill you too.' He stuck his tongue out at me, and I got him to just let me close my eyes as we neared the entrance to the Slytherin common room. Draco spoke the password, and pulled me in behind him, now letting me open my eyes. The common room was fairly small, a green leather sofa in front of the fire and a few armchairs here and there as well as the house notice board next to the portrait door and a bookcase in between the two staircases that led off to the girls and boys dormitories. 'One second.' Draco let go of my hand and walked over to one of the only people left down in the common room, who looked like a second year boy.

As they chatted quietly, I walked around the room, stopping at the first window, my eyes lighting up when I remembered we were underneath the lake, the body of the giant squid passing the window. 'If you stare at it for too long it'll come and squirt its' ink at you.' I looked around and saw that the second year boy was addressing me.

'I'm just fascinated.' Draco rolled his eyes and he took me up to his empty dormitory, only sharing it with Blaise since Crabbe was dead, and Goyle and Theodore were in Azkaban, as were the majority of the older Slytherin students. 'Who was that boy?'

'That was Thomas Gardiner, a second year. Before I left last year, I paid him to try and promote inter-house unity. He didn't want to leave Hogwarts during the battle, but I took him up to the Room of Requirement.' Draco paused as he hung his robes up on the back of the door. 'Everyone said that you asked the Slytherins to fight when you were in the Great Hall just before the battle started. It was him that had made people become united when we weren't here.' I smiled at him.

'I'll thank him later then. I'll go and get changed.' I went through to the small bathroom that my boyfriend and his best friend shared and changed into my nightie, putting my uniform into my beaded bag and going back into the dormitory to find Draco sat on the end of his bed reading his potions text back, wearing nothing but a pair of slacks. 'Bit of light reading before bed?' He looked up and snapped the book close, smirking slightly.

'I'm pretty sure that you'd class a potions textbook as something deemed for a toddler, then something hard core from the restricted section as light.' He dropped the book on the floor and slid it under the bed with his bare foot. I walked over to his bed and stood in front of him.

'What would you consider as heavy reading then?'

Draco gently caressed my cheek with his hand. 'Your eyes.' I felt my breath hitch in my throat as he said that, reminding me of the first time he ever kissed me. Draco pulled me closer to him, arms around my waist and began to kiss me tenderly. I threaded one hand into his platinum-coloured hair, the other around his shoulders. After a few more seconds, Draco lifted me up onto his lap with ease, and I wrapped my legs tightly around him, earning a moan from him when I pressed my core against his cloth-covered erection.

'Hermione…' I grinned, letting out a quiet squeal when he began to kiss and suck my neck, leaving bite marks here and there. Draco moved his hands down my back and eventually found the hem of my nightie, and was about to put his hands underneath it, but was stopped by the opening of the door.

'That's nice, you two.' I blushed as I recognised Blaise's voice. Draco lifted me off him carefully and sat me down next to him before he rearranged himself so his prominent erection wouldn't show through his pants much. 'Maybe Pansy and I should have been separated for three months to help enhance our love life.' I noted the anger in his voice before Draco did.

'What's happened, Blaise?'

'For a start, Pansy thinks that I should be more romantic, like Draco. I'm just not that kind of person. And today in defence against the dark arts, she thought I was flirting with Lauren. Why on earth would I flirt with Lauren? Doesn't Pansy know how much I love her?' Blaise sat down on his bed, defeated.

'Have you told her that, mate?' Blaise shook his head.

'I want to show her though, but I don't know how.' He stood back up again and came over to us. 'You were alright. You got to profess your love for your girl in front of everybody, including bloody Lord Voldemort. How can I beat that?'

'Why don't you do it at the Winter Ball?' I suggested. 'We're still head boy and girl, so tell us what Pansy's favourite song is, and we'll add it into the playlist. Dance with her to it, then when it's over, tell her how you feel in front of the entire school. Pansy will love it.' After a moment of consideration, he nodded, smiling slightly now.

'Alright, I'll do that. Thanks, guys.' Blaise left the room and Draco turned to me.

'Fancy carrying on?' I thumped him on the arm and he laughed.

'Pansy is wrong. You are the least romantic person I know.'

'Come on, let's just go to bed.' He picked me up and walked around to the side of his bed, laid me down underneath the covers and drew the curtains around his bed before climbing in next to me.


	5. 5 Gold Rings

**A/N: **M for a reason.

hsx

CHAPTER 5-

The next morning, I woke up to Draco's smiling face directly above me. 'How long have you been staring at me?' I asked.

'Half an hour.' He grinned wider.

'You could have been reading your potions text book.' I stuck my tongue out at him.

'Your eyes are more interesting.' I blushed and looked at the green curtains that we were surrounded by. 'Don't, Hermione. You're the most beautiful woman ever.' I turned back to him, and saw that his smile had disappeared and he was looking seriously at me now. 'I love you.'

'I love you too.' Draco began to kiss me, harder than he usually did. When he pulled away and began to kiss down my neck, I felt his length pushing against my thigh, remembering what happened the last time I had woken up with Draco in the morning. It had been the summer just gone at the Manor, and things had gotten a little out of hand. Draco reached for his wand which he had left beside his pillow and cast a silencing charm around his bed, in case Blaise was still in the room.

'We'll be late, Draco.'

'Like I care.' I felt him smirk against my neck as he carried on kissing me for a few more seconds before he let his hands travel down my body, finding the hem of my nightie, letting his right hand trial up the inside of my thigh and stroked me through the material of my knickers.

'Dra…' was all I managed before he began to pull down my underwear slowly, hooking it from around my feet. Draco sat up onto his knees and softly put his hands on both of my thighs, my legs falling apart without much guidance from him. He slipped a finger inside me, and I heard him softly swear as I moaned at his touch.

'I didn't ask you last time, but how do this make you feel?' I looked at Draco suddenly.

'It makes me feel beautiful. I never felt beautiful until you kissed me on the forehead, the night Krum tried to rape me. When you left and called me a mudblood, I felt worthless and dirty, but during the battle, when I saw you, I felt beautiful again, even though I was covered in blood and bruises.' He smiled quietly and added another finger, pushing deeper inside of me and curling them, my back arching up off the bed, then he stopped all movement. 'Please, Draco.' I grabbed his wrist, trying to get him to move, but he was stronger than me.

'I thought we were going to be late.'

'Forget class.' He smirked, kissed me, then carried on moving his fingers in and out of me, and I began to become restless as I felt myself coming to my climax. 'Draco…'

'I know. I can feel it.' After a few more seconds, he added a third finger and touched his forehead to mine. 'Come now, Hermione.' I did as he said, moaning loudly whilst holding onto his shoulders. When I came down, he removed his fingers and put my knickers back on for me. He laid down beside me, peppering kisses all over my face. 'You are beautiful. Why has no one ever made you feel it?' I shrugged and cuddled into his side.

'Why do you think I want to stay with you?' I felt him smirk against my forehead. 'What time is it?' Draco picked up his wand again and cast Tempus, and I saw that it was quarter to nine. I sat up quickly and pulled away the curtain, grabbing my beaded bag off the floor and heading for the bathroom.

'We could always take the day off.'

'Because that's not suspicious, Draco.' I got dressed into my school robes quicker than I had ever done before, the left the bathroom to find Draco getting dressed at the slowest possible speed. 'I need to go and get my bag from the Tower. I'll meet you in Alchemy.' I kissed him quickly on the lips then left the dungeons, only seeing a few stragglers here and there that were late to class. When I arrived at Gryffindor Tower, no one was there. I went straight for my dormitory, throwing my beaded bag on to the bed and grabbed my school bag and heading for the door, only just remembering my bracelet at the last minute. I ran to my bedside table and took it out of the top drawer, fastened it onto my left wrist then went to the Alchemy classroom, only just getting there on time.

I took my seat bedside Ginny and she grinned at me. 'Where were you at breakfast this morning?'

'I was in the Dungeons with Draco.'

'Doing what?'

'It's on a need to know basis.' I looked up at Draco who was sat opposite me with Harry, smirking whilst inspecting the fingers that had been inside me. 'And you really don't need to know.' Ginny smirked at my answer and we started with Professor Halton's task of creating gold into the shape of a ring. Halfway through the task, I glanced around the room, glad to see the door was shut. I smiled to myself, knowing that the next gift was coming. As I took my hands away from the cauldron of molten gold, I felt the parchment in my hand. Checking that Ginny was occupied pouring the liquidised metal into the mould of a ring, I read it.

_On the fifth day of Christmas, I give to my true love a gold ring._

The bracelet slipped down my arm, and I saw a gold ring magically encircling the other charms, going round and round, making me feel to dizzy to look at it. I smiled, but then immediately felt guilty. I was enjoying the gifts of someone who I didn't know whilst enjoying being with the man I loved: I just hoped that they were the same person. I looked around the room, taking a mental note of everyone present, then began ticking people off in my head, pleased with myself until Professor Halton spoke.

'Mr Weasley, please can you close the windows? It's getting a bit chilly in here.' I looked to the windows and saw that they were all wide open. And this was a classroom on the ground floor. I nearly stamped my foot, annoyed with myself once more. The mental list became larger and sat down on my stool with an irritated thump.


	6. 6 Geese A-Laying

**A/N: **Thank you to my reviewers **shaymars** and **Booknerdxx**! hsx

CHAPTER 6-

On the sixth day, I was sat with my head leant against Draco's shoulder on the floor in a clearing of the Forbidden Forest, waiting for Hagrid's lesson to start. The rest of our class were running around like maniacs, pretending that they were five, whilst we sat quietly together, Draco's left hand on my right thigh, under the material of my skirt, drawing soft circles on my skin.

'Your hands are freezing, Draco.'

'You weren't complaining yesterday.' I looked up at him and saw that he was smirking.

'How very Slytherin of you.' He squeezed my leg, and it probably would have started to repeat his actions of the previous morning if Hagrid didn't turn up.

'Oi! Everyone, sit down and get at a piece of parchment, a quill and something to lean on so you can take notes.' The mixed class of eight and seventh years all sat down behind me and Draco, and I heard him growl nearly.

'Everything okay?' I asked, whispering to him.

'No. It means that I can't touch you with everyone behind us.'

'That's probably a good thing.' I kissed his cheek and half of the class groaned.

'Hagrid! Please tell them to stop touching each other!' I grinned at the sound of Ron's voice, watching Hagrid as he shook his head, smiling.

'I told Draco at the end of the battle that if he hurt Hermione that I would get a hippogriff to do more than hurt his arm, Ron. As long as she's not crying, I don't care what they do.' I smiled up at the half-giant who grinned back at me. 'Now, on with the class.' Hagrid went behind a large tree, re-emerging with several wooden crates. He opened them, and out came six geese. 'Does anyone know what these are?'

'Geese, Hagrid.'

'Yes they are, Hermione. Ten points to Gryffindor. And does anyone know what type?'

'They lay golden eggs.' I quickly looked at Draco, surprised he knew that. 'What? I'm not stupid. I read that whilst you were getting changed the other night.'

'That was a potions textbook.'

'Yes, but I read that after I finished the Care of Magical Creatures book. You did take a rather long time.' I rolled my eyes at him and turned back to Hagrid.

'Finished?' We both nodded. 'Anyway, ten points to Slytherin. Split into groups of four and take a goose each to look at and write down their characteristics as they lay their egg, which should be in about two minutes.'

'Come on then.' I laughed at Draco's demand.

'No way. You'll start feeling me up. Again. I'm working with Harry, Ron and Ginny.' He smirked and went to sit with Blaise, Pansy and Luna whilst I found my Gryffindor friends. 'Hey, guys.' The three of them smiled at me, and we sat chatting with one another as we waited for the egg to hatch. Ginny led in Harry's lap, both of them looking up at the clouds, whispering too each other. I turned to Ron, whose perpetually melancholy facial expression hadn't lifted much over the past few months. 'How are you, Ron?'

He gave me a half smile. 'Not bad. How are things with Draco?'

'Good. Are you taking a date to the Winter Ball?' I bit my lip, remembering that last year he took Lavender.

'I don't think I'm going to go. No one will want me there.'

'That's not true. We'll all want you there.' He sighed and looked at the goose that had now stopped moving, sat down on the floor. 'Why don't you ask Lauren?'

'Why would I ask Lauren? We've barely spoken ten words to each other the entire time I've known her.'

'Just go with each other so you get to know her then. I know you're not ready for anyone else, not yet. I know you loved Lavender. You still do probably. I loved Draco the entire time we were apart, even though I thought he hated me. During the battle, he was all I could think about when he could have been dead. If he had died, I don't know what I would have done.' I looked over at Draco, sat in between Blaise and Luna, throwing his head back as he laughed at something his best friend said. I felt my heart beat beginning to speed up and my face getting hot as I fell further for him. I turned back to Ron. 'Go with Lauren to the Winter Ball, just as friends.' He smiled at me properly now, almost knocking me to the forest floor with the power of the hug he gave me.

'Thanks, Hermione. I'll ask her at dinner tonight.' I grinned at him, Ginny sitting up as the goose began to lay its egg, all of us hurriedly noting down the noises it made and the way in which it flapped its' wings. The goose finished laying the egg, waddling off and leaving us with its' golden egg. As I was finishing off the rest of my notes, I felt the crisp piece of parchment in my hand, plus the slight weight adding to my bracelet. I looked at the note without hesitation:

_On the sixth day of Christmas I give to my true love six geese a-laying._

I looked at the bracelet, seeing the charm of a silver goose along with a small golden oval, representing an egg. I smiled, but it soon faded as someone spoke to me.

'What's that, Hermione?' I stuffed the note into my pocket and let the bracelet slide up my robe sleeve.

'Nothing, Ginny. I'll just go and give the egg to Hagrid.' I picked up the golden egg, feeling my face going red as I walked away. How could I have been so stupid to let them see it?


	7. 7 Swans A-Swimming

CHAPTER 7-

The next day, me and Ginny trekked down to Hogsmeade with Pansy, Luna, Lauren and Kate, ready to meet my mum and Narcissa. We all needed to buy dresses for the balls, and Narcissa was kindly paying for everything. As soon as we rounded the corner into the small town, I spotted the platinum blonde hair that matched Draco's, and ran to greet his mum and my own.

'Mum! Narcissa!' They both grinned at me as I hugged them both, the other five barely speeding up their walk towards the dress shop the three of us were stood outside of. 'How are you?'

'Good. The dental practice is going well, and your dad is fine.' I smiled at my mum and turned to Narcissa.

'Brilliantly. The Christmas decorations are up at the Manor ready for the ball, and preparations are almost done. Just a few last minute invitations to send out, and our dresses of course.' The other five approached us and we all went into the dress shop together. 'We'll do Winter Ball dresses first, then Malfoy Ball dresses.' Draco's mother grinned and we all commenced to look around the dress shop, my mum, Luna, Lauren and Kate taking one side of the store, Ginny, Pansy, Narcissa and I taking the other. When we approached the corner of the racks at the back of the shop, I pulled Narcissa to the side, away from Ginny and Pansy. 'Is everything okay, Hermione?'

'Yes. It's to do with Draco actually. He's getting worried about Lucius. We don't really know each other that well and Draco's scared that his Dad will… well, I don't actually know what he'll do, but Draco suggested that we should break up, and I couldn't bear that, not again.' I felt the tears stinging in my eyes and quickly blinked them away.

'Oh, Hermione, Lucius won't do anything like that. I'll tell Draco to stop being so paranoid, but it is understandable after everything that has happened. Lucius will just want to get to know you properly before he makes any decisions about you, and I'll ensure that they will be the right ones.' Narcissa smiled, pulling apart a space in the rack, biting her lip happily at the dress she had found. 'This would suit you beautifully, darling.' She held up the dress to the light, revealing a knee length teal dress to me with thin straps and a tight bodice that had silver sequins studded at the waist in a flower pattern, then flowed out with a fabulous netting material.

'It's beautiful.'

'Go and try it on.' She shoved the delicate dress into my arms and I reappeared from the changing room minutes later, everyone stopping their search to look at me.

'Oh, Hermione, you look lovely.' I laughed at my mum's comment and twirled in the dress, the floaty material spreading it out in a circle around me. I got changed back into my normal clothes and helped the others find their dresses before we moved onto finding our attire for the Malfoy Ball. After ten minutes or so, I came upon a dress that represented my house colours. The red silk fell smoothly through my fingers as I looked at the gold sequins clustered at the top of the strapless floor length dress.

'Ginny, what do you think of this?' She looked at the dress.

'A Gryffindor coloured dress at the Malfoy ball?'

'Yes, but it'll show everyone that blood purity no longer matters, and Draco will have to wear a red tie.' She grinned, saying she liked it, then held up a light grey dress she had found.

'Do you think Harry will like this on me?'

'He'd like you in anything. Come on, let's try these on.' After everyone found their dresses, we stopped for lunch at the Three Broomsticks before we all sat together on a bench in front of the large pond in the centre of the town(**A/N: **Yes, there is now a pond) watching seven swans swimming, relaxing in the December air. A bell dinged across the street, and I saw Draco, Harry, Blaise, Neville, Ron and Dean all coming out of Honeydukes, each of them holding a small paper bag. I waved at them, and they came over, Draco kissing me on the temples from behind me.

'And how's my gorgeous girl this fine day?'

'She's very well, but if that was a hint at trying to find out what my dress looks like, it was a very bad attempt.' He scoffed.

'It was a worth a try. Here, I got you some sugar quills.' He handed me a paper bag and I kissed his cheek.

'Thank you. I'll eat them when I study later.'

'Of course, how could I forget?' He smirked at me, but before our conversation could continue any further, Narcissa shouted to Draco.

'Draco, I need to speak with you.' He rolled his eyes and went to his doting mother, and I watched their whispered exchange for a moment before turning to look at the seven swans swimming in the ponds. I bit my lip as it clicked in my head, already feeling the parchment in my hand. I unravelled it, already knowing what it would it say:

_On the seventh day of Christmas, I give to my true love seven swimming swans._

I looked at my bracelet and smiled at the small silver charm of a swan that had been added. I tucked it back up my sleeve when Kate nudged me. 'Ready to keep shopping?' I nodded and stuffed the note into the pocket of my jeans, needing to go and buy presents for people. At least I know my admirer is older than a second year.


	8. 8 Maids A-Milking

CHAPTER 8-

The weekend continued, and in memory of Professor Lupin, who had been our Defence against the Dark Arts teacher twice already, we went up to his old room and brought out the boggart cupboard from the small store room.

'Are you sure we should be doing this, guys? I'm still a little scared of boggarts.' We all turned to look at Neville.

'Neville, you spoke back to Lord Voldemort, and you can't even face a boggart?' He shrugged.

'I'll sit and watch you.' He climbed onto one of the desks, as far away from the slightly moving cupboard as possible, and the rest of us formed a queue in front of the cupboard with our wands out, me and Draco at the head of the line. Ron opened the door, and out of the cupboard walked Viktor Krum, wearing the clothes he had on for the battle, several cuts and bruises covering his body, still sneering at me in the twisted way of his. Before he could reach me, I held up my wand and cast riddikulus on the boggart, and Krum was now wearing makeup. I laughed, as did everyone else, and moved out of the way so Draco could take his turn.

I sat on the desk in front of Neville and watched my boyfriend, his face not showing any emotion as a makeup-wearing-Krum transformed to a figure lying on the floor. I leaned forward, my heart stopping momentarily as I saw myself. She was wearing the denim jacket, pink jumper and jeans I had worn during the battle. Her hair was a mess, and she still had a split lip, but her chest wasn't moving and she was led in a pool of blood. I saw a tear roll down Draco's cheek and immediately stood up, for once agreeing with Neville: this was a bad idea. Draco cast Riddikulus, and the corpse version of me got up and started to dance, but no one laughed. I jumped off the desk just as Draco turned around, more tears now silently falling on his pale face.

'Draco.' My mouth hung open slightly as he stared at me intensely. He walked quickly over and hugged me, as tight as the hug had been during the battle when we were together once more. 'It's okay. I'm here.' I stroked his hair as he nodded into the crook of my neck. 'Harry, Ron, put the boggart back in the store room.'

Everyone turned back to the boggart of me dancing, and it unfortunately caught Kate's eye. It began to transform and I braced myself for the worst, but when it finished, stood in the old classroom was a cow and a maid, the latter figure holding a glass of milk towards Kate. Before she had time to cast riddikulus on it, Harry levitated it back into the cupboard and shut the door before he and Ron began to push it back into the store room.

'Kate, what on earth was that supposed to be?'

The small girl shrugged. 'I'm lactose intolerant.' I shook my head and Draco eased his head out of my neck. The surface of his silver eyes shone with a need to cry more with the thought of his worst fear actually happening.

'We'll see you all later.' I led Draco out of the classroom by the hand and down the long flight of stairs and began heading towards Gryffindor Tower, passing students as they all ran back to their dormitories, collecting gloves and scarves as it had apparently started to snow. As the portrait of the fat lady came into view, I felt the parchment in my right hand and a slight weight adding to my left wrist. I felt anger rise up within me. Whoever was doing this would have only meant for me to see Kate's boggart, but keeping secrets from the man I loved was made worse when he had to see the thing he dreaded most in this world.

As I levitated Draco up the girl's staircase to my room, I checked the note whilst he wasn't looking:

_On the eighth day of Christmas I give to my true love a maid a-milking._

_I'm sorry. It wasn't supposed to be like that._

I stuffed the note into my pocket and looked at the bracelet, a small silver woman hanging next to the swan. As soon as I had let the spell drop, I ran up the stairs and joined Draco, both of us going straight to my bed. He curled up quietly on top of the duvet and I drew the curtains around us then cast muffliato in case any of the girls came up. I led down behind him and stroked his back. 'It's okay, Draco.' He rolled over and sat up, the rim of his eyes slightly red. I sat up hugged him, his arms limp against his sides. I felt his tears on the shoulder of my jumper, and I held him, rubbing soothing circles onto his upper back, as his shoulders shook silently with his sobs.

After what seemed like forever, Draco pulled away from me. I wiped away the rest of his tears with the pad of my thumb and kissed his forehead. I had only seen Draco cry once, and that had been a single tear when he had told about his dead sister. This was completely different. 'I love you so much, Hermione.'

'I know. I love you too.' Draco kissed me quickly on the lips then pulled me back down to the bed, and we lay there together, eventually falling asleep and missing dinner.


	9. 9 Ladies Dancing

**A/N: **Thank you to my reviewers **Booknerdxx**(Haha, thanks!)and **Hanable-13**(Glad you're enjoying it)! Enjoy! hsx

CHAPTER 9-

Draco's arms were wrapped around me tightly when I woke up the next morning. Stretching my neck, I saw the tear stains on Draco's face from yesterday, and I suddenly felt very guilty about the whole business with the bracelet, but a part of me held back from waking him up and telling him. I watched him for a few more minutes. I had never actually seen him asleep before; he had always woken up before me. It wouldn't have surprised me if he slept very little, just because he wanted to watch me. I smiled and watched a hair that had fallen forwards move slightly with his breathing, barely disturbing the clothes he was wearing. He looked so peaceful in his sleep, but there was something mournfully beautiful about his face. It had always looked so sad before. It wasn't surprising. He had spent his whole life believing his mother was the only person who truly cared. Then I came along with my friends, and his friends showed who they really were, and his father was freed from the curse.

'Draco, time to get up.' I shook him awake by the shoulder softly and his eyelids fluttered open, revealing the beautiful silver stones underneath.

'Morning.' He greeted me with a kiss on the cheek. 'You look pretty.' He tried to smile at me.

'No one looks pretty at this time in the morning.'

'You do.' He lifted me carefully so I was laid on top of his body, my head on his chest.

'That's nice, but you still don't get to find out what I'm wearing tonight.' He stuck his bottom lip out at me, remembering that tonight was the Winter Ball, and tomorrow we would be going home. 'What are you wearing?'

'A suit. Dress robes to the Malfoy Ball, unfortunately. You'll have to transfigure my tie to match the colour of your dress.' I nodded and climbed off him.

'Are you okay now?'

'I will be.' He smiled at me properly and undid the curtains around my bed. 'I'll go to the toilet, then I need to have some food.' I nodded and he went in the bathroom, and as I was getting changed, Lauren ran into the dormitory, her grin being in competition with the Cheshire cat's.

'Why are you so happy?'

'Ron just asked me to go to the ball with him!' She hugged me and I grinned with her.

'That's great, Lauren. What time are we all starting to get ready for?'

'Ask Ginny. I have no idea.' She squealed and left just as fast as she entered, Draco coming out of the bathroom.

'What was the squeal about?'

'Ron's asked Lauren to the ball.' Draco smirked.

'Yeah, he asked me how to go about doing that.' I raised an eyebrow at him.

'Nice to know you two are getting along. Where are you boys get ready tonight?'

'Strictly speaking, we're men now, but we're getting ready in Harry's dormitory. Don't worry, we'll go downstairs and wait for you.'

'Actually, you need to wait outside the Great Hall like last time. No one's allowed to see me remember?' I chewed my lip as I thought about last year. It had felt like my wedding day almost, Ginny and McGonagall being the only people allowed to see me before Draco did. I walked down the dormitory steps then levitated Draco down before we left Gryffindor Tower hand in hand, grabbed some breakfast, then went to the library to take out some books for the Christmas break.

I sat on my bed, dress on, hair up, makeup done, waiting for the other four to finish getting ready. Luna was sat next to me, wearing a bright yellow knee length dress, her blonde hair hanging straight around her shoulders. Kate and Pansy turned to us, Pansy in her house colours and Kate in a long black dress, who had been asked by Dean to go to the ball with him. Ginny applied the last of her makeup before walking over to my bed in a wine-coloured dress, smiling brightly. We were all ready. Apart from Lauren, who kept on moaning about whether or not she looked nice enough for Ron.

'Lauren, you look great. If Hermione is enough for Draco, then you're enough for Ron.'

'Kate!' I looked at her strangely with my mouth slightly open. 'What's that supposed to mean?'

'Nothing. Just trying to get her self-esteem up.'

'I'm almost done. Just a few more minutes.' We waited patiently for her, and I glanced down at my bracelet. I had fastened it around my ankle waiting for today's charm. The ninth day was nine dancing ladies, so it was obviously going to happen during the ball, but I was curious to know how they were going to fulfil the last three days of the song when we weren't even at Hogwarts for them. I clicked my silver heels together, and Lauren finally turned around. 'Done!' Her hair was up in a bun, and the grey dress she was wearing fit her perfectly.

'I'll see you down there.' I hugged each of the girls whom I had come to love as sisters and they left the dormitory. I stood by the door, listening to the boys' reactions.

'Kate, you look great.'

'Lun- Luna. You're very bright.'

'Going all Slytherin I see, Miss Parkinson.'

'Gin, you're beautiful.'

I held my breath as I waited for Ron to speak. 'You look stunning, Lauren.' I smiled at my best friend's comment, glad he had listened to my advice and tried to move on from Lavender, especially since this night would bring back so many memories for him. I heard Draco's voice from the common room and my smile grew wider.

'Why can't I just go and see her?'

'You know it's against the rules of your positions. None of us are levitating you up those stairs, and we'd like to try and see you levitate yourself up there.'

'Fine.' Draco's childish tone kicked in and I had to stop myself from laughing. It was one thing Draco knowing that I was up here, but it was another hearing me and not being able to see me. 'Let's go.' They all left the tower and I paced in my room as I waited for Professor McGonagall to come and collect me. A few minutes later, I heard the portrait door open and my Transfiguration teacher shout to me.

'Miss Granger? Time to go.' I skipped happily down the stairs and we went down to the Great Hall together.

'Professor, I never got to thank you for last year when we were stood here.' I said when we were stood around the corner of the corridor from the hall.

'I do believe it should be me thanking you. Without you and Mr Malfoy, our army wouldn't have been as big, and we wouldn't have defeated Voldemort. Lily Potter died because of her love for Harry. Voldemort died because of the love between you and Draco. Love is the most powerful magic in this world.' I smiled at my professor, and her stoical face broke out into a smirk. 'Yolo!' (**A/N: **In-joke if you read **Spy in the Dark**) I laughed, remembering her saying that last year. 'Come on.' McGonagall turned the corner first, and after she had walked a distance, I followed.

I saw Draco stood in the same place as last time, smiling up at me. His tie was the same teal colour as my dress, and a teal rose was attached to his lapel. 'You look beautiful.' I blushed and Draco placed a rose in my hair carefully, just like last year. 'This was the same rose I wore last year on my suit.'

'The rose I wore last year is in my memory box.' He grinned as he pulled away from me.

'Ready?' We turned to Dumbledore and nodded, beaming at each other. The two professors entered the hall arm in arm, and we followed their lead behind them, and as we walked past everyone clapping, the anxiety I had experienced last time had completely dissipated. The students of Hogwarts cheered loudly as we led the first dance with ease, and when there were eight other couples on the floor with us, I felt a weight adding itself to my ankle as well as someone else's thoughts in my head.

_On the ninth day of Christmas, I give to my true love nine ladies dancing._

I let the legilimency fade away and carried on dancing until the end of the song, holding Draco tighter. After stopping for a drink, I danced with my two best friends as well as Blaise and Neville before Draco came up to me as a slow song started.

'I do believe that it's time to have our anniversary dance, Miss Granger.' I laughed quietly and accepted his hand and we took to the floor, other couples dancing lovingly around us.

'You do realise that we have three anniversaries in a year?' I told him after we had been dancing silently for a minute or so.

'Oh?'

'Today is the anniversary of our first kiss, Christmas Eve is the anniversary of us actually getting together, and the day of the war is the anniversary of-'

'Being reunited. I'll never forget that for as long as I live.' He kissed me slowly and groaned as he pulled away. 'All I want to do right now is tell everyone how much I love you, but this is Pansy's song.' I listened a little closer, recognising the song as Pansy's favourite. I glanced to my left and saw her and Blaise dancing with each other, and I could hear snippets of their whispered conversation, mainly Pansy asking her boyfriend why he looked so nervous.

I stepped closer to Draco. 'The only person you need to tell is me.'

Draco's voice dropped to a husky whisper, so quiet that I wouldn't have heard him if it weren't for our proxemics. 'I love you more than anything. I don't care that some people still frown upon us being together, I want to spend every waking moment with you and never leave your side. Your eyes are like the sun as it rises and sets each morning, their colour bringing life to everyone and everything around you. Your smile brings me so much joy when I see it that it's hard not to smile with you. I heard that some muggles worship a God, his son being Jesus, and they read from a bible. They say that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. They're wrong. You are the way, the truth and the life, Hermione Granger, and I will always love you.'

The song ended and we stopped moving, but neither of us listened to Blaise's speech for Pansy, or clapped and cheered when it ended. I was crying silently, the tears rolling down my face without making a sound. Draco kissed each one away before he kissed me fully on the lips.

'I'll go and get us both a drink.' He left me stood in the middle of the hall, still crying quietly. Blaise and Pansy came over, hand in hand, grinning at me, but their smiles dropped when they saw my tears.

'My speech wasn't that emotional, Hermione.' I ignored him and followed Draco around the room as he got two drinks, my tears turning to sobs that made my shoulders shake.

'He's so beautiful. I love him so much.' Pansy hugged me, handing me carefully to Draco when he returned carrying two hot chocolates, which he knew was my favourite drink.

**A/N: **Draco's mini-speech was not intended to be blasphemous or offensive. I am actually religious. Just got back from a carol service before I wrote this chapter! Until tomorrow hsx


	10. 10 Lords A-Leaping

**A/N: **Thank you to my reviewers **Hanable-13, Honoria Granger**(Oops! Sorry, I'll change it!)and **Booknerdxx**(Haha, thank you!)! Enjoy! hsx

CHAPTER 10-

The following morning, I was sat in the Head's compartment on the Hogwarts Express reading, waiting for Draco to come back from the toilet. After I had broken down at the ball last night at his words, he took me down to the dungeons and we sat in front of the fire in the Slytherin common room, just talking. I smiled, remembering him walking all the way up to the seventh floor with me just to make sure that I got to my room safely.

The door slid open I looked up from my book, seeing Draco had returned. 'Have fun on the toilet?'

'Lots and lots and lots.' We both grinned at each other and he led down on the side of the compartment I was sitting on, and rested his head in my lap and shut his eyes, telling me he hadn't got much sleep last night.

'Why not?'

'I was thinking about you. I wanted to know if you were alright.'

'I'm fine.' I ran my fingers through his fine hair as he rested, and when I was sure he was at least half-unconscious, I took the eight notes I had received from my secret admirer out of the back of my book, deciding not to leave them under my pillow during the holiday. I looked at each strip of parchment in turn, all of the handwriting the same apart from the extra sorry note that I had got on the eighth day. Was my admirer getting someone to help them?

'What are those?'

'Letters from my mum.'

'In eight pieces?' I nodded guiltily and put them back in my book. He looked like he was about to say something else, but the compartment door opened and the trolley lady was stood there.

'Anything from the trolley, my dears?' Draco paid for some sugar quills which we shared for the last hour of the train ride before we arrived at platform 9 3/4 where Narcissa was waiting for us to take us to the nearest floo network so we could go to Malfoy Manor.

* * *

That evening, after I had dinner with Draco, his parents and my parents who were staying at the Manor for Christmas, Draco and I sat on the indoor balcony that the Malfoy's had added to the newly refurbished drawing room.

'Remind me why we're here again?'

'The day before Christmas Eve, it's tradition for the eldest Malfoy male to invite over nine other men to have drinks with, who are also the oldest males in their family. They bring their children and they sit and socialise, which has been made easier by this balcony we added.'

'Okay, so that's why you're here. I don't understand why I am.'

'One, you're a guest in our house, so I'm not allowed to leave you on your own. Two, you're my girlfriend, so I wouldn't leave your side unless I really had to. Three, your dad's part of the drinks group this year.' Draco smiled happily, and the door underneath us opened, Lucius and my dad walking into the drawing room together. 'I'm glad about the kind of people my father's inviting this year. They're usually a load of Pureblood Lords who want to give their daughter to me.' I laughed and walked over to his chair, sitting in his lap. 'Jealous, Miss Granger?' Draco asked, wrapping his arms around my waist.

'A little.' Just as we were about to kiss, the door to the balcony opened, and there stood Ron, Dean, Blaise and Pansy.

'Malfoy Manor Christmas Eve-eve drinks tradition. Highlight of my social calendar.' Draco raised his eyebrows at Blaise. 'Well, I prefer your family's ball. Anyway, my mum's got a new husband.' More people entered the room underneath us, and I saw Mr Weasley, Mr Thomas, Mr Parkinson and a man whom I didn't recognise, which must have been Blaise's step-dad. 'He's quite nice. For a change.' I smiled at him and we all took our seats apart from me, as I was still on Draco's knee. 'So, did you manage to stop your girlfriend from crying, Draco?'

'Of course. They were purely tears of love.' Draco's hand on my waist tightened slightly as he tried to fake a nonchalant tone, telling me that he cared more than his voice allowed him too.

'I didn't even know that was possible.' The two best friends smirked at each other, and Blaise turned to Ron. 'Kissed that Lauren-girl yet?'

'Only on the cheek. Planning on doing it tomorrow night when we're here.' Draco grinned.

'I'll show you around the quiet spo- Ow! What the hell was that for?' I had hit my boyfriend mid-sentence, and he feigned pain, knowing that I wasn't physically strong enough to actually hurt him with my own hands.

'They've only been on one date.' Draco rolled his eyes at me, but Ron just laughed.

'It's all right, Hermione, really.' The door opened beneath us, and in walked Dumbledore, Snape, Flitwick and Slughorn.

'Why are they here?' Draco shrugged.

'I'll ask my father later. It's starting now though.' The ten men each took a drink from the centre of the table and began chatting about businesses, Lucius inquiring about my father's dental practice.

'How about you help me to set up a dentist in the Wizarding World?'

'Why not? Hermione's always said that you just use spells to clean your teeth. She used it on me once to show me the results, but it didn't work very well. I dread to think what state your teeth are all in.'

'Let's do it then. We'll start the business plans after Christmas.' The two men smiled. 'Bedsides, we'll get to know each other better this way. I think are children are too much in love to ever even contemplate leaving each other.' They clinked the glasses together and glanced up at us on the balcony, seeing me sat on Draco's knee.

Draco kissed my neck and I turned my head towards him. 'I will never leave you.'

'I know. I never will either.' We smiled at each and carried on listening to the conversation downstairs.

'Ah, young love.' Dumbledore smiled, then winked in our direction.

'Their relationship was basically the spark the war needed, there's nothing charming about it.' Snape drawled on and I tried not to laugh.

'I think you're forgetting, Severus, that without their union, we would have lost the war. I do wonder sometimes how it ever came about. Don't you ever think about what happened between the two of them in that common room to make them fall in love?'

'I'm sorry,' the new Mr Zabini asked, 'but what happened with Hermione and Draco? I was in Australia during the war. The other nine occupants of the room filled him in on the story, Draco and I sat on the balcony with our eyebrows raised.

'We are still here, you know.' Draco shouted down to them, and they all simply just turned to us and waved before laughing together. Draco removed me carefully from his lap and took his wand from his pocket. 'Blaise!' He whispered to his best mate who had the same idea and got up from his seat, also withdrawing his wand. 'I think it's time to for the Malfoy Manor Christmas Eve-eve heir's drinks tradition, don't you?'

'Absolutely.' The two boys leaned over the balcony and pointed their wands at the glasses the men were drinking out of and whispered a spell that was so quiet that I couldn't work out what they had cast.

'What have you done?' I asked when he returned to my side.

'Stand and watch.' The six of us stood looking out over the drawing room, each of the men taking a sip of their drinks, then dropped it as they all stood up and began to dance and leap around the room. 'We do it every year when they start talking about us.' I began to laugh, but it was cut short when I felt parchment in my hand:

_On the tenth day of Christmas, I give to my true love ten lords a-leaping._

I looked at my bracelet, to see, along with a shoe from last night, a small man. I looked around the room nervously as everyone carried on laughing, making sure that all of the doors and windows were shut. At least I've finally narrowed the list down.


	11. 11 Pipers Piping

**A/N: **Thank you to my reviewer **Luv2read20**(Thank you very much!)! This chapter is M, guys, just a warning. Enjoy! hsx

CHAPTER 11-

The daylight that Christmas Eve offered didn't last that long, and I didn't get to enjoy much of it. My parents convinced Lucius and Narcissa to decorate the ballroom by hand, so the house elves ran around our feet, climbing up the large Christmas tree at the head of the room putting the lights and ornaments on it whilst the six of us set out tables and chairs for the guests to sit on, garnishing them with holly leaves and sprinkling glitter on the floor. After three hours of rigorous work, we all collapsed in a heap in the centre of the floor, the house elves grinning at our exhausted forms.

'Come on, we don't have time for sleeping. We need to sort out the food.' Narcissa pulled us each of the ballroom floor and we all went to the kitchens and began cooking with the elves, Draco finding excuses to throw flour at me from the mince pies we were making together.

'I swear to Merlin that if you do that one more time that I will go to the ball on my own tonight.' He pouted and I laughed loudly, kissing him on the cheek before returning to the dough mixture. After we had put them in the oven, my mother and Narcissa whisked me off to the room I was staying in to get ready.

'No one is to come up unless someone has died or Voldemort has rose from the dead.' Everyone laughed at my mother's comment as she and Draco's mum dragged me up the stairs. I sat for what seemed like hours letting them do my hair and makeup, which seemed unfair to the ten minutes I gave them to get ready. Just as they helping me put my dress on, the sounds of laughing guests filled the hallway below us and Narcissa kissed my hand and left the room in a green dress to greet people, and my mum assisted me with my small golden heels.

When we were done, I stood up to my full height and smiled at my mum, who was wearing a black dress she had bought in Hogsmeade. There was a knock on the door, and my dad shouted to me. 'Can I come in?'

'Of course, Dad.' He opened the bedroom door and smiled at me as he took my mother's hand.

'You look wonderful, Hermione.'

'Thank you. Do you know where Draco is?'

'He's just getting changed now. Lucius said you were to wait in here and Draco would come and collect you.' I nodded and my parents left, closing the door behind them. After five minutes of sitting on my bed, I walked over to the window, being able to see myself in the inky black reflection it cast. Narcissa had cast a spell on my hair to accentuate my curls, and they fell around my face and shoulders perfectly. Mum had done my makeup, adding red lipstick to go with my dress. My red dress clung to me like it was a second skin, and for the first time in my life, I thought I actually looked pretty.

I heard the door open behind me, then Draco's voice. 'Hermione, I can't believe you're making me wear re…' He trailed off as I turned around, his mouth hanging open slightly.

'Problem, Draco?' He shook his head slowly, and his face reminded me of someone who had been put under the Imperius curse. 'You look lovely in your robes.' He was wearing simple dress robes in white, black and red, and his hair was slicked back away from his face like the way he used to wear it.

'You look… I don't even…' I blushed and looked down at the floor. 'Are you ready to go down?' I nodded and he held out his hand for me, but retracted it slightly after he had taken a good look at me. 'Where's your bracelet?'

'Excuse me?'

'Your charm bracelet. The one you got eleven days ago.'

'It's over th- how do you know about that?' My heart beat increased, and my eyes were wide with terror. Draco smirked.

'Because that first day, I slipped it into the pocket of your cardigan when we kissed by the lake. In transfiguration, I got Ginny to levitate a charm towards you from the opposite desk after I got McGonagall to teach us that kind of transfiguration, then I convinced Flitwick to teach us that eyesight charm, then Harry cast a spell to make it appear as if Ginny's eyesight had been damaged.'

'But I checked his wand.'

'Yes. Ginny cast a spell on it to make it appear that way. Madame Pomfrey was in on it too, giving Ginny that potion to make her throw up. Don't worry, she fully consented to it. Harry levitated the charm to you through the open door, then I got Dumbledore's permission to get Errol in the Great Hall at dinner for the fourth day and Blaise sorted out the charm that day. When we were in alchemy, Professor Halton let us make gold rings, and he made a small one especially for me and you which he charmed to keep on moving around the other charms, and he levitated that one on for me.'

'So, you got Hagrid to teach us about geese in care of magical creatures?' Draco nodded, smiling wildly.

'Of course. He just wants to see you happy, so he agreed straight away. Pansy levitated it to you that time, then my mother did when we were all in Hogsmeade. The eighth day didn't go as planned, so Kate quickly scribbled sorry on the end of the note before she ran after us under Harry's invisibility cloak.'

'What about at the Winter Ball?'

'Snape wasn't dancing with anyone, so he used his legilimency to send you the message and levitated the charm to your ankle. Why on earth was it there anyway?'

'If it was on my wrist you would have seen it, and I was scared of what you would do if you found out about it.' He laughed.

'I could never be angry at you. You'd have to do something absolutely awful for me to be angry with you. 'Yesterday, I levitated it to you when you were distracted.'

'And how on earth did you ever get permission from all ten of them to get them to take that spell you placed on their drinks when they knew they were going to start leaping around the drawing room?'

'Oh, I didn't. Blaise and I genuinely do that every year, we just changed the spell a little to make them leap a little more.'

'Do you know how paranoid I was?!' I hit his chest softly several times and Draco hugged me.

'I know. It was really funny. Face facts, Hermione. You were well and truly Derren-Browned by all of your friends and several of your professors.'

'How the hell do you who Derren Brown is?'

'Your dad told me. Now just put your bracelet on.'

'Can't you just give me today's charm?'

'No. We haven't have eleven pipers piping yet.' I laughed and he took my hand, leading me to the ballroom, where my parents, Narcissa and Lucius were waiting outside the closed doors for us.

'No rush, you two.' I smiled at Lucius, and Draco linked his arm with mine, and we stood in a line, the masters of the house first, my parents, then their children at the back. Draco pecked me on the cheek and whispered to me, his lips brushing against my ear.

'You do know that your wedding dress is going to have to be impeccable to outdo what you're wearing tonight.' I blushed furiously at the implications of what he just said, but didn't have time to question him as the doors opened in front of us and the six of us entered the ballroom, walking to the table we had set up in front of the big Christmas tree, my parents sitting on Narcissa's side, me and Draco sitting on Lucius', reporters from the Daily Prophet and Witch Weekly taking pictures of us all together, as well as the rest of our friends who were sat at the various other tables around the room. Entering through the doors were eleven men with bagpipes and they stood in a line in front of us and began playing.

I took Draco's hand and he turned to me. 'Why aren't people wondering why there are bagpipe players at your family ball?'

'The first ever Malfoy, Armand, was Scottish. We usually just have ten, but for the purpose of the muggle song, we hired an extra player.' I saw a charm being levitated towards me, smiling at Lucius as it clasped around the silver chain, and he handed me the piece of parchment.

'Happy Christmas, Hermione.'

'Thank you.' I kissed Draco on the cheek and unravelled the strip of parchment:

_On the eleventh day of Christmas, I give to my true love eleven pipers piping._

The charm was of a small bagpipe and I grinned, finally happy that this was all down to Draco. The pipers left and Lucius made a speech about the Dark Lord finally being gone, then motioned to me, Harry and Ron, and people clapped for us. He talked about his love for his wife, son and dead daughter. Draco gripped my hand, and I remembered how much he still loved Astrid even though he was only young when it happened. The six of us all stood and we went into the centre of the ballroom to have the first dance of the evening, my friends and professors joining us all.

'Hermione, my father told me before that he wishes to dance with you.' I smiled at Draco's nervous face halfway through the song.

'I can do that. Don't look so worried.' I kissed him, looking deep into his eyes. The silver colour swirled around, the white specks glinting off the candles in the ballroom from the three chandeliers. I fell deeper for him as his eyes shone in his happiness, his arms tight around my waist, his fingers tracing imaginary patterns on my lower back making me tingle with happiness. The song ended and Lucius came over, asking to dance. 'Of course.' I kissed Draco on the cheek and began dancing with his father to a Christmas song that I thought I recognised.

'You look lovely, Hermione.'

'Thank you. You know Draco was really nervous about you talking to me, right?'

He nodded. 'Cissa told me. If I was still under the Imperius curse, I could understand, but… well, I suppose he would have forgotten what sort of person I really was.'

'Could you not break free from the curse at all?'

'I tried to, but it was very strong. Most of the death eaters were like me. The same can't be said for the likes of Bellatrix.' I nodded, remembering how Draco saved me from her scaring my arm. We carried on dancing, and it sounded like a drunk Irish man was singing.

'What song is this?'

'Fairy tale of New York. Draco said muggles like it. It's quite catchy when it gets going, actually.'

'You know it?' He nodded.

'I couldn't stop listening to it after he told me to add it to tonight's song list.' The upbeat part started and we both sang the lyrics and danced slightly faster, people looking at us strangely.

The cameras flashed fairly quickly when I called Lucius a cheap lousy faggot.

* * *

After being questioned by a few people about the singing outburst, dancing with my dad and a few other people I went to stand outside the ballroom, getting some fresh air and cooling down. I paced around in the area that they had cleared of snow, smiling to myself, all of my worries finally gone. I felt someone wrap their arms around my waist from behind me and they kissed the back of my head.

'Aren't you cold?'

'I'm trying to cool down, Draco.' I turned around, placing my hands on his chest, a song changing inside, to what I recognised as the song that led to our first kiss. 'I'm glad you remembered.'

'How could I possibly ever forget?' We began dancing as the Beauty and Beast song played for us. 'I'll never forget that night. You were so beautiful. You're even more beautiful now, it that's even possible.' He pulled me tighter to him, and I leant my head on his shoulder as we moved together slower to our song, Draco muttering sweet nothings into my ear. The song began to end, and another one began to play, but not as loud, and I knew Draco had fixed it so I could only hear ours. 'Can I kiss you?' I blushed remembering him asking the very first time.

I nodded and Draco leaned his head down a little and captured his lips in mine, his kiss being as sweet as our first one this time last year. When he pulled away, he ran a thumb over my cheek.

'Tonight?' He asked, and I instantly knew what he was referring to. We had had a couple of botched attempts at it, one on Valentine's Day when I threw him off me because of what Krum tried to do to me, and one during the summer which a house elf walked in on.

'Yes.' We both smiled and Draco took me by the hand, leading me over towards the wall of the house. Taking out a small silver key from his pocket, he moved aside the ivy and put the key into a small hole, unlocking a door which revealed steps lit by candles. 'I should have known you had this planned.'

'Of course I did. I want it to be perfect for you.' I entered the house first, lifting up my dress so I wouldn't trip on the stone steps, Draco behind me, locking the door so no one could get in. The door at the top of the steps was open, and I went through into his bedroom. Blue rose petals were on the floor, being Draco's nod to the blue rose he gave on the night of the Winter Ball last year. Candles were lit everywhere and the fire next to the door, which turned out to be the bookcase, was crackling quietly away. The curtains were drawn and the sheets on the bed were made out of white silk.

I heard Draco close the bookcase behind me, then went to lock his bedroom door before he came over to me, wrapping his arms around my waist. 'I told the house elves not to disturb us unless someone dies or Voldemort has rose from the dead.' I smiled shyly at Draco's repetition of my mother's words. 'Is this okay?'

'Yes. This is perfect and you're perfect.' I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him slowly, putting my hands on his shoulders and slid off the outer layer of his dress robes, leaving him in his shirt, tie, pants, socks and shoes. I undid his bowtie and the first few buttons on his shirt, but before I could go any further, Draco pulled out of my kiss and knelt down in front of me, carefully lifting my dress up at the ankles and removing my shoes, then removed his shoes and socks. He walked behind me, and for a horrible second I thought he was judging how I looked. The thought went as soon as it came when Draco wrapped one arm around my waist, bringing my back against his chest.

He flipped my hair over on shoulder and began to kiss up and down my neck, occasionally sucking my most sensitive spots, knowing how it would make me moan for him. His free hand went to the zip at the back of my dress and undid it at a painfully slow rate. 'Draco.' I felt him smirk into the skin on my neck and he finally unzipped it, and the red silk fell from my body to the floor and I stepped out of it, turning around to face Draco, now wearing nothing but a strapless bra and knickers.

I approached Draco slowly and undid the rest of the buttons on his shirt, but he barely seemed to notice as he was that transfixed with looking at me. I took the shirt from his body and undid his belt and the fly on his pants, letting them drop to the floor. He stepped out of them, now only wearing his boxers, and took both of my hands, leading me over to the bed. He sat down on the end of it, pulling me onto his lap. I wrapped my legs around his hips, grinding into him and he moaned into my mouth as we kissed.

'If you do that, I don't know how much longer I can last.' I blushed at Draco's comment, but smiled regardless. He softly pulled my curls to my back as he reached behind me and undid the clasp of my bra. Butterflies rose up, afraid he would laugh at me, but his eyes still shone as he looked on me, throwing my bra somewhere behind us. Draco pushed me backwards slightly and began kissing down my chest, drawing a nipple into his mouth and sucking on it.

'Draco…' I leant my head on his shoulder, grabbing his hair in fistfuls as he alternated between nipples, his thumb and forefinger, rubbing circles around the other. After a while, he looked up at and kissed me, then carefully stood up, with me still wrapped around his hips and walked to the side of the bed and laid me down in the centre after drawing back some of the silken sheets.

I felt bared in front of him and looked away, but I still saw Draco smiling at me out of the corner of my eye. 'You look like an angel.' I looked at him and smiled. 'I've never seen anyone look so beautiful before.' He kissed me again, his hands trailing down my body to my last covering. He pulled away and met my eye, asking for permission, his hands resting on my abdomen. I nodded and he slid my underwear down my legs, Draco's erection growing more prominent the further he went. He lifted my ankles up and took off my last garment, dropping it on the floor somewhere, and kissed me on the lips before going back down my body. Slowly, he spread my legs apart, still looking me in the eye to make sure what he was about to do was okay. I nodded nervously, no one having ever touched me there before apart from him. He looked away from my eyes, smiling softly at what was in front of him. He buried his head in between my thighs, and I felt his tongue inside of me, and I arched up slightly off the bed, my hands gripping the white silk either side me. I felt Draco smirk as he rested both hands on my hips, waiting until I had settled before he continued.

Draco sucked on my innocence, and after gathering enough strength to hold me down with one hand, he thrust two fingers inside me with the other, and I groaned in pleasure, finding that I was coming to my climax. 'I'm going to…' I couldn't get much more out. Draco nodded, the action making me moan. He twisted his fingers inside me, pressing on my barrier softly so it wouldn't hurt, and sucked harder. I grabbed his hair as I came, and he removed his fingers from me but carried on using his tongue against me, only removing it when I came down.

He got off the bed and removed his boxers then climbed back on, lying down next to me. 'Are you ready?'

'Yes. I love you.'

'I love you too.' He kissed me one last time and moved so he was knelt in between my legs. I gripped the sheets with one hand and held Draco's with the other, his spare hand holding his member. I nodded and he entered me, his eyes fluttering close in pleasure as he properly felt me for the first time. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes again. I smiled at him and held tight to his hand, and he entered me fully, the way Draco was holding his jaw telling me that he liked the feeling and was having a hard time waiting for me. I had felt a sharp pinch as he took me, but not enough for me to tell him to stop. 'Are you okay?' I nodded. 'How does it feel?'

'Uncomfortable, but not unwelcome. You feel soft, but hard at the same time, like you don't want to hurt me.'

'I don't.' I moved my hips a little, Draco biting his lip as he patiently waited.

'How do I feel?' Draco looked at me suddenly and smiled.

'Wonderful. You're very wet.' I blushed and looked away from him. 'It's a good thing, Hermione.' I turned back to him and smiled shyly. 'You're soft too. And tight. It's like someone's put me under a painless petrificus totalus.' I laughed quietly and moved my hips again, earning a moan from Draco.

'Okay. You can move.' Still guiding with his hand, Draco pushed all the way inside me, both of us moaning when he was all the way in. 'That feels good.' My boyfriend nodded in agreement.

'Tell me if you want to stop or go slower and I will.' I smiled at him and he pulled out of me a little before going all the way back in and I let my breath out, looking up at Draco. I thought he was beautiful when he slept and when he danced with me, but he looked even more beautiful positioned above me. I moved my hips in a circular motion as he entered me again, telling him that I wanted more of him. 'Are you sure?'

'Yes, Draco.' He placed his hands on my abdomen and picked up his speed, a few swear words escaping from his lips as he moved in and out of me.

'You feel so good.' He leaned down and kissed me softly, and I knew it was hard for him to hold back. My first time was moving at an achingly slow pace, and I knew he wanted it to be perfect for me.

'Please, Draco.' He obeyed, his hands wrapping themselves around my back and my legs going around his hips, and I moaned at the new contact as I pulled him further inside of me.

'God, Hermione.' I smiled and met his hips as he thrust into me, both of us moaning, and Draco pulled in and out of me quicker. I dug my fingernails into his shoulders, my bracelet sliding up and down my wrist. I smiled at it through the pleasure. It had brought us closer and I was grateful for how thoughtful Draco was. 'Are you…' He trailed off, his eyes half-lidded, telling me that he was close.

'Yes…' Draco brought us both to the edge of the bed, me sat on his lap with him thrusting up into me. 'Nearly…' We became faster and more erratic, kissing each other roughly on the lips. 'Draco!' I screamed his name as I came, holding him tightly between my legs, which brought Draco to his climax, the first one I had ever given him.

'Hermione...' He rested his head on my shoulder as I felt him come inside of me. 'That was amazing.' I smiled and closed my eyes, both of us breathing deeply, trying to get our breath back. Draco recovered quicker than me and picked us both up, his softening member still inside of me. He went to his discarded robes and picked up his wand and pointed it at my abdomen, muttering the contraceptive charm, then dropped it to the floor and carried us back to the bed, removing me from him as he laid me down. I hissed at the loss of contact, but he got in next to me straight away, pulling the stained silken sheets over us both as he pulled me towards his chest. We wrapped our arms around each other and he kissed me fully on the lips. 'I love you.'

'I love you too.' We stayed like that until morning, the candles burning out sometime during the night.


	12. 12 Drummer's Drumming

**A/N: **Thank you to my reviewers **Luv2read20**(Thank you! I'm glad you think so!)! Thank you to anyone who reviews this chapter in the future! Enjoy! hsx

CHAPTER 12-

I woke up with an aching feeling between my legs the next morning, and I slowly opened my eyes to see Draco propped up on one elbow, smiling at me. 'Good morning.'

'Good morning, Draco.' He kissed me and I felt him smile into my touch.

'Yes, it is, isn't it?' I blushed slightly. 'Did you know that my parents sleep on the same corridor as me?' I looked up at him, alarmed.

'Which room?'

'The one opposite mine.'

'You could have told me that before I screamed your name! Did you put a silencing charm on the room?' Draco smirked, shaking his head.

'Relax. They were probably doing the same thing and we didn't hear them, so they would have put one of their room.' I laughed nervously and cuddled into his warm body, running my fingernails over his chest, smiling proudly at the marks they had made last night on his shoulders.

'Do I have any love bites?'

'Yes. But they're not that noticeable. Do you want me to make-'

'No, it's fine.' We lay there for a few more minutes until Draco got out of bed, pulling me up with him. 'What is it?'

'I need to scourify the sheets, then we need to get dressed and open presents downstairs with family.' I nodded, looking at the white sheets. Where we had started off was covered in something white and sticky, as well as the position we ended in; and in the middle of the bed, where Draco took me, there was a tiny patch of blood. 'Does it hurt?' He asked, seeing me look at my virginity on the sheets.

'No. It feels weird not having you there though.'

'I can sort that out if you want.' He walked closer to me and I just grinned at him.

'Maybe later. In the shower.' His eyes became wide and he quickly turned away from me and found his wand on the floor and cleaned the sheets, pulled his boxers on and walked to his wardrobe. I hunted the room for my bra and knickers, finding one of them by the secret door and the other at the side of the bed. I put them on, and picked up my dress from the floor and folded it up, leaving it on the bed. 'What am I supposed to wear?'

Draco turned around, now wearing a pair of pyjama bottoms and an old quidditch t-shirt. He smirked as he saw me stood in my underwear. He opened his mouth to speak, but we both froze as someone tried the handle of his bedroom door. 'Draco? Are you okay?'

'I'm fine, mother.'

'We're going to sit in the drawing room and open presents. We'll meet you down there.'

'Okay.'

Narcissa paused from outside of the door. 'Have you seen Hermione? Jean said she wasn't in her bedroom.'

'She's in here.'

'Oh!' Narcissa sounded flustered immediately, and I felt myself go bright red. 'Well, I'll see you both down there. Don't be… err… too long.'

'We won't.' Draco began to laugh as we heard Narcissa walk away from the room and he rifled around in his wardrobe.

'That was embarrassing.'

'That's certainly one word for it.' He pulled out a pair of grey joggers and a jumper. 'Put these on.'

'Because by wearing these no one's going to suspect what we did last night.'

'Well, considering that my mother has just gone downstairs and told my father and your parents about what we did last night, I don't think you'll need to worry.' I blushed even harder as I got dressed. 'It's fine, Hermione. No one will care.' I nodded and kissed him, then we left the room holding hands, walking down to the drawing room.

As Draco opened the door to the drawing room, our parents turned around and smirked at us, and Lucius shouted to Draco: 'Did you cast the contraceptive charm? I don't think we want any grandchildren yet.' I blushed again, and everyone else laughed.

'Yes, I did, father.' We approached the seating area, the adults on settee's whilst me and Draco sat on the floor in front of the Christmas tree. We handed out presents, Draco rolling on the floor laughing when I saw that I had gotten him hair gel and dry ferret food, reminiscent of our early years at Hogwarts. 'I love you.'

'Of course you do. You'd be mad not to. Where's my present?'

'They're here now.' I looked at him strangely as a house elf clicked his fingers, and the doors opened, and twelve men marched in, drumming for us. 'We don't usually have these on Christmas day. I brought them here especially for you.' He reached into his pocket, bringing out the final charm, a small drum, which he attached onto the chain in between the bagpipes and the crystallised pear. 'On the twelfth day of Christmas, I give to my one and only true love, twelve drummers drumming.' I smiled at him, feeling tears prick my eyes.

'I love you.' I kissed him soundly on the lips after I saw a house elf had climbed part way up the Christmas tree and was holding a sprig of mistletoe above our heads. Everyone else was so distracted by enjoying the music that they didn't notice me and Draco leave through the back door of the drawing room, planning on having the aforementioned shower.

**A/N:** Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year if you celebrate it! hsx


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